


So, You Like Cats?

by elle1991



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Animal Play, Awesome T'Challa (Marvel), Bottom Sam Wilson, Cat Ears, Cat Sam, Cats, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Fluff, Love, M/M, POV Sam Wilson, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sam Wilson Feels, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Sam Wilson-centric, Sleepy Cuddles, Sub Sam Wilson, Sweet T'Challa (Marvel), T'Challa (Marvel) Is a Good Bro, Top T'Challa (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 11:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7046986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle1991/pseuds/elle1991
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Wilson has a confession to make.</p><p>It could make or break his and T'Challa's relationship.</p><p>It all comes down to one question: Do you like cats?</p>
            </blockquote>





	So, You Like Cats?

Sam took a deep breath and smoothed down the front of his suit, making sure that his tie was done up properly and that the edges of his shirt were as crisp as possible.

He wanted to look his best for T’Challa, this fifteenth date ( _not that he was counting_ ) being just as important and special as the first.

He sprayed a little cologne onto his neck before giving the bathroom mirror a wink. “You’re looking fine, Wilson!” he said to his reflection.

“Indeed you are, my little bird,” came a warm voice from the bathroom door.

Sam spun around to see T’Challa leaning gently against the doorframe, looking positively regal in a navy blue and gold dashiki and black suit trousers.

Sam couldn’t help the wide grin that spread over his face as he took in the sight of his partner. “Wow, you really are The Black Panther! I didn’t hear you sneaking up on me at all,” he teased, as the other man stepped forward to kiss him gently on the forehead.

He closed his eyes and hummed contentedly as he felt T’Challa’s strong arms hold him protectively, before slipping a kiss onto the other man’s nose and pulling away to take him hand.

“You’re looking pretty excellent yourself,” he added, smiling as T’Challa bowed his head in thanks and started leading him to the dining area on his floor.

The Wakandan King had been generous in providing for the fugitive Avengers, which comprised of himself, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff and Scott Lang, as well as Bucky Barnes, who was currently on ice.

They had each been provided with their own floor, which had a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining room and living room; fully fitted with the finest Wakandan-made furniture and homely necessities.

As they entered the dining area, Sam realised that soft piano music was playing from discreetly-positioned speakers and stood still for a moment to listen to the strange melody.

“What is this music?” he asked, feeling his body start to sway to the undulating rhythm.

“It is an old song from this country,” T’Challa replied. “It is a song of love, symbolising commitment and unity.”

Sam didn’t know what to say to that, simply squeezing the other man’s hand instead, hoping that his appreciation was showing from the warm expression written on his features.

It was at that moment that his eyes fell onto the dining room table. His eyes widened as he took in the candles, the two goblets of wine and the two plates of food which were giving off a mouth-watering aroma.

He approached the table with a look of amazement. “You sure pulled out all the stops, today!”

T’Challa smiled as he pulled out a seat for Sam. “It is our two month anniversary,” he said. “I wanted it to be special.”

Sam felt a rush of affection at his words and reached out to grab T’Challa’s hands, their dark fingers interlocking perfectly. “Thank you,” he smiled, pressing his lips to the other man’s knuckles.

T’Challa stroked Sam’s head for a second before sitting down in his seat and gesturing towards the plates before them. “I hope you don’t mind eating some of your fellow avians, little bird.”

Sam laughed at T’Challa’s pet name for him. He had taken to calling The Falcon his ‘little bird’ soon after they took their relationship from platonic to romantic, and although Sam would sometimes outwardly complain at the nickname, he secretly liked it.

“I think I’ll survive,” he joked. “What is this, anyway? Turkey?”

“Pheasant,” T’Challa corrected him, “Cooked in the finest spices and served with rice.”

They started to eat, chatting easily, when Sam’s thoughts began to wander.

He had promised himself that when he and T’Challa reached the two month mark he would share his…secret, if that was the right word.

Any sooner, he figured, and he was risking exposing this intimate part of himself with someone who may not turn out to be long-term partner material. Any later, he felt, and it would start to feel like he was hiding this part of himself, which he didn’t want to do.

He chased the last piece of pheasant around his plate, thinking of ways to _do it_ that wouldn’t come off as weird.

T’Challa noticed this change in energy and raised a quizzical eyebrow, laying down his knife and fork and rubbing Sam’s shoulder. “Is everything OK, little bird?”

Sam picked up his goblet and swirled the wine around before taking a long sip, giving himself extra thinking time and also working up a little Dutch courage. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “I, uh, I have something to tell you. It’s nothing bad or anything! Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of bad. I guess a lot of people may think it’s kinda odd, but it’s nothing crazy strange, you know, it’s just a bit unusual…”

Sam realised he was stammering and starting to ramble and closed his eyes before taking another, longer sip of wine, almost draining the glass. He needed more Dutch courage. He paused a second before thinking _screw it_ , and draining the last of the wine.

Reaching out for T’Challa’s hand, he gestured towards his bedroom. “Maybe we should talk in there?” he suggested.

T’Challa rose silently, his hand slipping into Sam’s out of habit, and guided the American to his sleeping quarters.

“Whatever it is,” he said slowly, “I promise not to judge, but to listen, and to try to understand.” The look on his face was so solemn and sincere that Sam felt a lump form in this throat.

“OK,” he whispered. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, steeling his nerves as his forced the words over his lips. “So, you like cats?”

Silence.

Sam’s heartbeat was thundering in his ears, his hands balled into nervous fists in his lap as he waited for his boyfriend to give an answer that didn’t come. He finally risked opening one eye and saw T’Challa sitting there with a confused look on his face.

“Cats?” he said, as if he weren’t sure if he had heard Sam correctly.

“Yes, cats,” Sam repeated, gritting his teeth. “Do you like them?”

T’Challa looked confused but nodded his head. “They are good creatures.”

Sam’s knee jittered and bounced with nerves. “Good. So you like me. And you like cats. That’s cool.” He took a deep breath and faced T’Challa head on, hoping against hope that the King wouldn’t laugh at what came next. “And what about me… as a cat? Cat me?”

T’Challa was silent for a long moment before finally shaking his head. “I don’t understand.”

Sam was still for a moment before making up his mind. “I want to show you who I really am.”

He held T’Challa’s gaze and the Wakandan looked back just as seriously before nodding. “Show me,” he said simply.

Sam stood and walked towards the bathroom, pausing just before entering to turn around, “I’m not saying that this is who I am all the time. It’s not. But it’s a part of me and sometimes it’ll want to come out and I don’t want to hide it.”

Before T’Challa could respond he closed the bathroom door and started to get changed. Off came the suit, shirt, shoes and tie, until he was stood in just his underwear. Then he reached into his special bag and carefully put the cat ears onto his head.

The black ears blended perfectly into his hair, looking like a natural extension of himself, which was fitting seeing as they _felt_ like a part of himself too.

He steadied himself mentally, taking a few deep breaths before turning the door handle and stepping back out into the bedroom.

T’Challa was lying on his bed and became very still as his eyes fell onto Sam.

Sam searched his face for clues as to his inner thoughts but T’Challa’s face was unreadable as he watched Sam pad up to the bed and then sit down next to him.

Sam was about to escalate his internal freak out into a full blown panic attack when T’Challa gently reached out his hand to Sam’s ears and murmured, “What have we got here then?”

Sam was about to answer and explain his kink in the least weird way he could, when he felt T’Challa’s fingers stroke around his cat ears and down his head towards his neck and realised the other man was still talking, cooing gently as his fingers trailed along his crown. “Such a handsome cat, surely this must be the King of the jungle? What a _good_ cat.”

Sam closed his eyes and let out a soft moan as he realised T’Challa was petting him, stroking him like he was a _good_ kitty and not judging him, or laughing at him, or calling him a freak.

“You don’t mind?” he asked quietly.

“Shh,” came T’Challa’s gentle response. “I told you I like cats, didn’t I? And this one is such a good little cat. _My_ little cat. So perfect for petting. Do you purr, little kitty?”

Sam let out a loud purr in response, the sound rumbling from his belly as the tension bled out of him.

“That’s it, sweet cat, relax for me…”

Sam slumped so that he was lying curled up on the bed next to T’Challa, pushing himself against the other man’s warm body as he felt his hands continue to stroke along his hair and back. He sighed contentedly and found himself smiling, feeling happier than he had for quite some time.

“I might fall asleep if you keep that up,” he murmured.

T’Challa smiled, not pausing in his gentle strokes, watching as Sam’s whole body relaxed, the faint line of worry that had been creased between his eyebrows now completely disappeared. “That’s OK, my little cat,” he replied. “Sleep now, I have you. My beautiful kitty.”

Sam’s hand automatically drifted to capture one of T’Challa’s, their fingers interlinked once more as the Wakandan’s quiet hands stroked Sam into a gentle dream of strokes and acceptance.

 _Good_ , he thought, just before he drifted off to sleep, _he likes cats._

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU: Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed it! Comments and kudos are more than welcome; let me know your thoughts :)
> 
> TUMBLR: [I'm on Tumblr!](http://ao3-elle1991.tumblr.com/). Feel free to follow/talk to me on there :)
> 
> STORY ART: I created [this graphic](https://ao3-elle1991.tumblr.com/post/169423339951/ok-said-sam-he-took-a-deep-breath-and-closed) to accompany this story. Feel free to share it! <3
> 
> OTHER STUFF I'VE WRITTEN:
> 
> If you want to get an email whenever I post something new, then click on [my profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle1991) and become a user subscriber. Be aware that this is _different_ from the Subscribe button on the top of _this_ page, which is for this story _only_ :)
> 
> Here's a list of my other stories, if you're interested:
> 
> [Fearless](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8346310) (291,275 words) - A Black Widow origin story. Starting when Natasha was three years old and going right up to the present day, this fic explores Natasha's life as a Red Room Academy student, KGB agent, SHIELD agent and finally, an Avenger.
> 
> [Steve And Bucky's Kinky Alphabet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11776473) (176,544 words) - 26 chapters of explicit porn-with-plot featuring Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Each chapter focuses on a different kink, with one chapter for every letter of the alphabet. Or: the one where JARVIS goes rogue and kidnaps the Avengers until they can sort their mental health out, and Steve and Bucky fuck a lot and fall in love.
> 
> [Vengeance](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7285612) (51,573 words) - The thought of joining HYDRA made Steve feel sick. He would never join such an organisation. Never. But then Bucky Barnes – his best friend, his everything – fell from the train, and everything changed.
> 
> [Secrets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14704965) (40,706 words) - Bucky Barnes is a man with a big secret: for 70 years, he was HYDRA's weapon, carrying out countless acts of horrific violence whilst under their control. Nevertheless, despite his dark past, he is trying to move on with his life, working hard as a SHIELD agent and even developing a relationship with fellow agent Tony Stark. All seems to be going well, until a security breach at SHIELD threatens to expose Bucky's past. With one SHIELD agent already murdered by the mystery thief, it is a race against time to find the individual responsible and put a stop to their sinister campaign.
> 
> [At Your Service](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14624802) (12,931 words) - Clint and Natasha lose a bet. For the next 24 hours, they have to dress up in matching outfits and do everything Phil Coulson says. Or: The one where Phil gets Clint and Natasha to dress up and act out some of his many, many Captain America fanboy fantasies.
> 
> [The Adventures Of Steve Rogers, Newsboy Extraordinaire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15153170) (11,161 words) - 7-year-old Steve Rogers has Selective Mutism. His best friend Bucky Barnes doesn't mind though - he thinks Steve is awesome just the way he is. When Steve gets a part-time job as a newsboy, he finds himself in the firing line of an armed robber targeting local businesses. Will Steve find the courage within himself to save the day - and even find his voice?
> 
> [I Like Cats, Too](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13646094) (10,526 words) - The Avengers are more than just a team; they are a family. When that family is torn apart by the split caused by the Sokovia Accords, Natasha regresses into herself and lapses into a prolonged period of silence. As Team Cap hide away in Wakanda under the protection of T'Challa, will anyone be able to help Natasha overcome her depression and mutism? Enter a very special cat named Midnight...
> 
> [The End Of The Line](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7088617) (3,433 words) - Bucky Barnes falls from the train to his assumed death. Steve Rogers has to come to terms with a world without him in it.
> 
> [Turkish Oil Wrestling](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7013452) (2,620 words) - Steve and Bucky decide to have a wrestling match to settle an old score. Cue them stripping down to their pants, getting oiled up and engaging in a vigorous wrestling match that leaves them both hot, sweaty and looking like they're doing a lot more than just wrestling.
> 
> [In Memoriam: James Buchanan Barnes](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7924684) (120 words) - After Bucky falls from the train to his assumed death, a grief-stricken Steve writes a poem in honour of his best friend.


End file.
